EDUCATION COUNCIL : MEMBER STATES NOT AMBITIOUS ENOUGH, SAYS VASSILIOU.

• Position: Androulla Vassiliou

Education Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou told the Union's education ministers, meeting on 14 February, that their countries are not being ambitious enough when setting targets to achieve two goals set as part of the Europe 2020' strategy. These goals are to reduce school drop-out rates to below 10% and to ensure a 40% share of 30-34-year-olds who have completed tertiary (or equivalent) education. Ministers were in Brussels to discuss their contribution to the Europe 2020' strategy. The Education Council also adopted conclusions on the role of education and training in the overall implementation of the 2020 strategy.

Prior to the Council, telephoning by a worried Hungarian EU Presidency ensured 18 ministers finally made it to Brussels. A quorum of 14 was needed to adopt the conclusions as well as the agenda. Despite these troubles, Commissioner Vassiliou spoke of a good debate on how to make education contribute to the 2020 strategy. Nonetheless, she admitted that member states need to do more.

"National targets are not ambitious enough to achieve our goals on early school leaving and graduates," she said. The education commissioner is also not happy with the UK's refusing to set headline targets for education (the Netherlands may still do so). "Although the UK voted in favour of targets in the European Council, the UK believes they have the option not to present national targets," said Vassiliou.

Whilst all 18 education ministers at the Council were in agreement on the need to invest in education, Vassiliou admitted that this point also needs to be taken on board by those really...